Turkey Meatball Soup with Orzo is a simple, hearty soup with delicious turkey meatballs, vegetables, and orzo pasta.
Author:A Family Feast
Prep Time:45 mins
Cook Time:2 hours 30 mins
Total Time:3 hours 15 minutes
Yield:8-10 servings 1x
Category:soup
Method:simmer
Cuisine:American
Ingredients
UnitsScale
To Make the Stock
2poundsturkey legs (about three legs, no thigh)
1/2 fresh parsley with stems (the more stems the better)
2 medium carrots washed and cut into quarters
1 large stalk celery cut into quarters
1 leek, white only cleaned of sand and quartered
1 garlic clove smashed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 black peppercorns whole
1 bay leaf
2quartswater
To Make the Meatballs
1poundground turkey
1/4cuponions, minced
1cupbread crumbs
1/2cupmilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
1cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Prepare the Soup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1cuponions diced
1/2cupcelery diced
2cupscarrots, diced into bite sized pieces
1cupleeks, white only cleaned of sand and diced
Stock from cooked turkey legs (about six cups)
1quartadditional chicken stock (carton or canned)
Cooked meatballs
5ounces fresh spinach
1/2cupdry orzo pasta
Cooked turkey meat, about onepound
1cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
In a medium stock pot, put all stock ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and simmer covered for two hours. Strain and reserve the stock. Pick meat from turkey legs and hold cooked meat until later. Discard the remaining solids.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, place all meatball ingredients and mix to combine.
On a parchment lined sheet pan, scoop out 36 meatballs approximately ¾ of an ounce each. (We used a medium/#40 scoop like this one and then hand rolled each meatball.) Bake for 20 minutes, cool and set aside.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and cook onions, celery, carrots and leeks for five minutes over medium high heat.
Add both the fresh and carton broth along with cooked meatballs and fresh spinach. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low for five minutes. Add dry orzo, raise temperature to medium high and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender.
Add cooked turkey meat and half the Parmesan cheese. Bring to hot and serve in bowls with remaining Parmesan cheese and some good crusty bread.